A surgical locking screw and driver is described within U.S. Pat. No. 6,755,836 entitled “Bone Screw Fastener and Apparatus for Inserting and Removing Same”.
This arrangement utilizes a surgical screw and driver whereby the end of the driver is moved in the horizontal plane in a forward direction within the slotted end of the surgical screw and a locking pin on the end of the driver is repeatedly rotated clockwise, via a first handle arrangement on the driver, into a threaded opening on the slotted end of the surgical screw to fasten the screw to the driver.
The driver/screw combination is then rotated clockwise, via a second handle arrangement on the driver, to attach the screw to an object.
Once the screw becomes attached thereto, the first handle arrangement on the driver is repeatedly rotated counterclockwise to release the locking pin from the surgical screw and the driver is again moved in the horizontal plane in a reverse direction from within the slotted end of the surgical screw to remove the end of the driver therefrom.
In view of surgical space limitations and surgical time requirements, it would be highly advantageous to insert the end of the driver in the downward vertical plane directly within the slotted end of the surgical screw and to attach the locking pin, on the end of the driver, to the slotted end of the surgical screw with a quarter turn clockwise rotation of the first handle arrangement on the driver to fasten the screw to the driver and a quarter turn counterclockwise rotation of the first handle arrangement on the driver to release the locking pin from the slotted end of the surgical screw, whereby the end of the driver is released from the surgical screw by movement of the end of the driver in the upward vertical plane.
One purpose of the instant invention accordingly, is to describe means whereby the end of a driver is directly inserted and removed from the slotted end of a surgical screw and is quickly attached thereto and removed therefrom.